


Penance and Mercy

by Capucine



Category: Generation X (Comic)
Genre: Ableism, Alternate Character Interpretation, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Drabble, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-05-24 07:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6146086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Capucine/pseuds/Capucine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jono is just about sick of the treatment of Penance. He knows he sees a person in there, not just some shell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Penance and Mercy

Penance couldn’t talk.

This was something Jono had accepted easily enough, even though her mind shields meant he couldn’t talk to her. The way he projected wouldn’t work with her—so he invented new ways.

Taps. Hand signs. Looks.

Penance’s eyes were blank.

And Jono accepted this too. The way her eyes reflected a shattered soul—not unlike his. Worse, maybe, but the mostly blank look didn’t mean nothing was there. He would see something, sometimes—a flash. Enjoyment at beauty. The pleasure of pressing into just the right surface, one with some give but not too much. Delight at apples and other treats.

Adoration at him.

And he thought he reflected that back—because Penance, or Penny, mattered to him. They could sit for hours, not talking.

Penance was shy.

Maybe not shy so much as asocial. She tended towards staying away from the rest, especially the louder ones. She preferred no company—or his.

Her blue-green eyes would settle on him, and he seemed to see something slide into place, something relax. Whatever minute crease or frown there had been would disappear.

Penance was not safe.

The others assumed she had no feelings, and even Emma had mentioned sensing nothing from the girl, perhaps she was a shell. Perhaps just an empty form with basic instincts, created by Emplate or someone else.

And Jono bristled at that, shouted at them that of course she was not a shell, she was as much a person as any of them—but they said he was biased.

That he wanted her to be because of their shared mutilated appearance, or at least his perception of that.

She’d barely blinked at all this going on, sitting amiably near him.

And the rage was hard to swallow. Hard to deal with. Because he wasn’t just seeing what he wanted to see, he was seeing _what was there_.

Penance was in danger.

Emplate attacked, and she _ran_. She knew who he was instantly, her tormentor, and Jono had seen the terror in her eyes, even if her mouth only fell open a bit. She ran, and they tried to block her, keep her from running off and getting in trouble, because they were going to handle Emplate and it would be okay.

She fought through them all frantically, everyone but Jono, and that was when Emplate struck—hurt her. Started to feed.

And Jono had blasted the bastard with everything he had. Sean had joined in, Monet too—but it was Jono’s rage that fueled the attack.

Emplate escaped, not with Penny, thank god—not thanks to the rest of the team.

Jono had screamed at them, not let them near Penance, who was half in a daze on the ground.

When they got him sedated, both of them being treated in the medical ward, he managed his way through many plans, his head muddled.

When it cleared, though, he and Penance were gone.

Penance was safe—now. And loved. And accepted.

They both were.

It would be some time before Jono reconciled with the X-men. They would come to see the error of their ways when Penance’s mind shields deteriorated, when a veritable rainbow eruption of thoughts made themselves known.

It shouldn’t have taken that, in Jono’s mind.

They should have just believed him—and Penance.

**Author's Note:**

> Written to deal with feelings, I guess? I kinda consider Penance to be a kinda neurodivergent person. Didn't want to put it in the tags, though. I feel like so much more could have been done with her if they hadn't abandoned the Yvette storyline.


End file.
